A forest guide for the novice

A new book titled The Forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park serves as a guide to understanding and identifying southern Appalachian forest types for the non-scientist.

The book explores the evolution of the diverse forests of the Smokies, including environmental and manmade influences. Along the way, the reader learns how to sample the forest using skills like pacing, measuring tree diameter, estimating tree age, determining successional stage and identifying major southern Appalachian tree species.

The author is Dan Williams, forest manager & environmental educator with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. For more about the book, go to forestsofgreatsmokymountains.com.